


Wouldn't It Be Nice?

by hedaleda



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beach, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-20 06:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3640536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedaleda/pseuds/hedaleda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa is spending the summer in her uncle's California beach house but her plans to spend the summer alone and attachment free suddenly go awry when she meets street/beach artist Clarke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wouldn't It Be Nice?

The morning was _cool_ , it was mostly the breeze coming off the ocean but Lexa knew that in a few hours the day would be hot. The summers here in LA weren't too much hotter than those back home in DC and the air here wasn't so sticky, which meant that here she'd had more reason to be outside. In the last few days she was already golden and maybe even happy or something close.

 

When her uncle had offered his empty beach house to her for the summer she had jumped at the oppo rtunity - it'd been years since she'd been to California and really she needed a break before she started graduate school. A couple of distraction free months by herself right next to the ocean and a couple hours drive to the mountains was exactly what she needed. The house wasn't large but it was probably ten times more expensive than her apartment. The patio faced the ocean but there wasn't a private beach. Instead it hung over a cliff that dropped down to some sand. She had been mildly disappointed at that - going to the crowded beach to get to the water wasn't exactly ideal but really she couldn't complain. 

She was braiding her wet curls on the patio and nursing a cup of now lukewarm coffee- her morning routine now that she'd been there almost a week. It was still early, everything light blue and grey. Sleeping in wasn't something she had ever been able to do and watching the ocean go from dark grey to blue made her mornings feel full. A bit of wind sent a chill down her back, she wrapped her shawl around herself and took a deep breath of salty air. She glanced at her phone but there were no texts, no missed calls. There hadn't been since she left. She had left a message on her mother's voicemail when she landed but the silence afterwards was expected. No word from her mother in a week. No word from her limited friends in a week. There wouldn't be today.  Another breath. Almost a week and she still hadn't ventured to the beach. 

Today, she thought. 

It was only a little before ten when she arrived at the beach, but the crowds hadn't gotten too bad just yet. By noon she knew it would be packed, especially  since there was a high of 94 today. It wasn't that she hated people but the crowds did get to her; all the bodies packed together was suffocating. She found a spot for her towel and water bottle, put on some light sun screen (she rarely ever burned but Lexa was nothing if not cautious), and made her way towards the small swell of waves. 

The water was cold. Perfectly cold against her already sun warmed skin. It was life dripping down her arms and the curve of her back. For a moment she let her walls down, stood waist deep in the water with her arms out and her face pointed at the sun- eyes closed she spun and fell back into the water with a splash. She wasn't a particularly strong swimmer so she didn't venture too far out. She could handle getting deep enough to tread but fear of just how far the waves could pull her out kept her swimming back to the shore. It wasn't long before her muscles ached - she dived into a swell one more time before heading out. 

She pushed herself back towards her towel and took a large gulp of her water. Her braid had come loose at some point so her dark hair was sticking to her face, sand was all over her feet, and she couldn't remember the last time she smiled this hard. She laid there for a few minutes letting the sun dry her off. The beach was definitely crowded past her comfort level though and she was ready to head home for a shower. 

On her way back to her car she noticed a girl with blonde hair on the sidewalk in front of an easel. A sign next to her chair read "Paintings for $15. Portraits for $20". A couple, a man and a woman with greying hair sat in front of her while she painted them. The girl's hair tousled about in the wind and from her short distance away Lexa could see the furrow on her brow. Lexa gave her one more glance before she got into her car and drove home. 

* * *

 

It rained for two days afterward. Rare and no less warm, a light much needed rainfall that kept her inside with her stack of books. She figured that a vacation didn't mean she could completely abandon her thesis and the house had an office with large wall to floor windows that made it bright and less of a chore. Her phone remained silent. 

The next day she packed a satchel and went to Crystal Cove State Park for a light hike. It wasn't the mountains and there weren't as many trees as she'd like, really it was mostly grass and hills but the quiet wildness of it settled in her chest. She took a few photos of some birds and when she found a bench she let herself eat some sunflower seeds before carefully packing them away and finishing her hike. 

The beach house felt too quiet that night when she returned, the walls trapping her. She found her uncle's liquor cabinet  and drank the most expensive bourbon she could find straight from the bottle. It was fire down her throat and  sticky sweet on her lips. 

She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and wondered around the house before finding herself back on the patio. The night was warm and silent. She took a large gulp and settled into the large round chair, it felt like an embrace. The stars were blurry and she thought maybe that was because the bottle was now half empty. The ocean sang her to sleep. 

Seagulls were decidedly the worst alarm clock when you had a hangover. Lexa felt the pain before she opened her eyes, the bright light and  squawking  was really not helping and she needed caffeine immediately. With her head low to she made her way back inside and opted for a shower since she could still smell the bourbon which was less appealing this morning. She stood under the hot water and massaged some shampoo into her hair, the motion helping her headache a bit. Maybe if she felt better after breakfast she'd brave another trip to the beach. Part of her wondered if the painter would be there again but she shook her head and stepped out of the shower. 

Her uncle's French press was honestly a godsend but especially this morning so she packed her beach tote. 

* * *

 

She was later than before so it was already crowded. If the salt water wasn't so healing she'd have turned back and waited till tomorrow but she was already here. She was making her way down the steps to the sand when a hand grabbed her arm. 

"Hey! Sorry, but can I ask a favour ?" It was the painter from the other day and she kept her grip light on Lexa's wrist. 

Lexa nodded, worried about what the girl was going to ask. 

"I haven't done a portrait in days and today is slow. Could I paint you? Totally free! I just need the practice." The girl bit her lip in a guilty smile. 

"Um.." Lexa really didn't want to sit in the heat but the girl's deep set blue eyes were near begging. "Sure. I guess." 

The girl let go of her arm and beamed, Lexa looked back at the ocean and wondered if she'd regret this. 

"Alright, so I have a chair here and I promise this won't take too long. I'm Clarke by the way." The girl, Clarke, told her walking toward the place on the sidewalk where her easel  was located. 

"Lexa." Lexa told her, getting onto the chair- really more of a stool. 

"So just sit as still as possible and I'll get this done. Thank you, by the way. I've been stuck doing landscapes for days and really I can only draw the ocean so many times." Clarke said, getting her paints out and her canvas situated. 

Lexa watched Clarke, she hadn't noticed before that there was a small freckle above her lip. She also worried her lip when she concentrated-which Lexa had to admit was cute. She decided that if she was stuck sitting here having a stranger paint her likeness the view wasn't so bad. 

"You're posture is incredible." It was a compliment surely but it somehow made Lexa uncomfortable. 

"Thank you." Lexa struggled to sit still, part of her wanting to be friendly but mostly wanting to make a run for it. "So, why paint the ocean everyday? Why not head to the park or any other place?" 

Clarke laughed. "Sometimes I do but I've been trying to get out of my comfort zone and draw people rather than landscapes. There are usually more people here and tourists love this sort of thing. Plus the cash helps.  Ya  know, starving artist and all." 

"I can pay for this if you-" Lexa started.

"No, no! I offered you this one on the house." Clarke stopped and smiled up at her. She had a bit of blue paint on her cheek and Lexa felt her chest clench and she quickly looked away. 

There was a silence between them then while Clarke worked. Lexa was patient and glad that they didn't need to communicate the entire time. Her mind wondered a bit, maybe she could take a drive to the mountains later this week. She glanced back up and settled on watching Clarke. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy bun but the wind had let a few loose hairs fall free. Her brow creased the same way Lexa remembered from the first time she saw her. Blue eyes flickered back up at her every so often, the attention causing red heat to crawl up Lexa's neck. 

"So...I know we just met and haven't even had a full conversation yet, but do you want to go get a smoothie with me once I'm done painting?" Clarke asked. She was looking at Lexa with those eyes again and Lexa was frustrated with how hard saying no to this girl was already becoming. She had to try. 

"I really wanted to go for a swim." She started, but those damned eyes. "But okay." 

The grin she received was maybe worth the sinking feeling in her stomach. 

It was another half hour before Clarke finally put her brush down. Lexa watched her look at her canvas and then back to her a few times before nodding. 

"Okay. Done. What do you think?" Lexa slid off the stool and looked at the canvas. The painting was...beautiful. She had never been one for low self esteem but she had also never seen her image captured like this, and the ocean in the background was a perfect touch. 

"Clarke, this is incredible. You're very talented." 

"Thanks," Clarke blushed. "Actually do you mind if I keep it?"

"You want to keep a painting of me?" Lexa raised her eyebrow. 

"Well, yeah. It's honestly one of my best and I have an art show coming up." Clarke looked almost bashful. 

"And you want this in your show?" Lexa asked and Clarke nodded. She was a little startled and didn't know how she felt about her face being up for everyone to see, but really she didn't need her own portrait at home.

"Okay." 

"Thank you! This paint dries fast so just let me get everything into my car. My friends own a really great smoothie place just a couple blocks away so we can walk."

Lexa nodded and put her beach tote in her own car. 

* * *

 

Clarke was right about it being a short walk, soon they were entering a place called " _Monty's_ " that had a very relaxed vibe and was nicely air conditioned. There were plants all over the interior and round tables lining the wall and near the window. 

"My friend Monty opened this place with the money he inherited from his parents. He's really great with making pretty much any drink. Even ones he can't sell here if you know what I mean" Clarke winked over her shoulder.

Lexa didn't know what she meant but nodded.

"Hey Monty!" Clarke called out to the open door behind the counter.

A young man with shaggy black hair, a wide nose, and a bright smile that reached his almost black teardrop eyes popped out from the back of the store. 

"Hey, give me a second to put this box away and I'll be right with you!" 

"Yeah, no problem." Clarke hopped up on the counter facing Lexa. "I come here almost everyday. You'll love it I promise." 

Lexa gave Clarke a small smile and nodded. Clarke grinned at her and they took a moment smiling at one another before Monty showed back up.

"Ok, what can I get you?" 

"I'll have my usual and Lexa..." Clarke turned to her. 

"A medium pomegranate peach smoothie, please." Lexa ordered and started to pull out her wallet. 

"No, I'll get this." Clarke started. 

"No, you did that painting for free."

"But you let me keep the painting."

"I've really got this."

A laugh stopped them. Monty was laughing into his fist. "Uh, guys? It's on the house. I'll bring them to you when they're ready." 

Lexa started to argue but Clarke cut her off. "Thanks, Monty! Come on Lexa." She grabbed Lexa's arm and pulled her towards one of the tables toward the window. Clarke hopped onto one of the metal stools and rested her cheek on her fist. 

"So have you lived here long? I've lived here my whole life and usually recognize a familiar face." 

Lexa shook her head. "No, I'm only here for the summer." She ignored the way Clarke's face fell. 

"Are you staying with friends or..." 

"No." 

"Oh, so you are with family?"

"No." Lexa's voice was sharp.

Clarke's brow furrowed and she sat up, distancing her body from the table and from Lexa. 

"I'm sorry I was just wondering-"

"I know." 

She doesn't mean to cut her off or have a harsh tone but the prying makes it difficult. Clarke was cute and sweet but still, the prying made  Lexa feel suffocated and her skin a little too tight. She almost apologized because Clarke was giving her a look she couldn't quite read but made  her feel guilty but then Monty was there setting down their drinks. 

"Enjoy!" He winked and was gone as quickly as he had appeared. 

They were quiet for a moment unwrapping their straws. Still silent as they started to drink.

"You were right." Lexa finally said.

Clarke glanced up. 

"I love it." 

Clarke smiled like it was an apology. 

* * *

 

"I'll be at the beach again tomorrow if you want to meet up."  Clarke offered now that they were outside of Monty's. Lexa looked towards the ocean and then back to Clarke's waiting and hopeful face. She wanted to meet her, make a friend and...maybe more if she was honest with herself even if she had sworn she wouldn't let that happen. Plus she did feel guilty over how she had acted earlier. It wasn't Clarke's fault that she was so closed off, and truth be told she was a little lonely and probably shouldn't spend the whole summer alone. Hanging out with someone couldn't hurt, right? Clarke was bright and good, something warm that Lexa found herself  agreeing despite her internal warning signs. 

"Yeah." She finally sighed. "That sounds great."

Clarke looked down and then up again with a wrinkle in the bridge of her nose. "Give me your number so I can text you?" 

Lexa almost laughed. "Do you think I'm going to stand you up, Clarke?" 

"No, I just...want your number." Clarke's stare was heavy and Lexa found herself quickly relinquishing her phone, she tried to ignore Clarke's smirk as she typed her own number into Lexa's contacts and took Lexa's number. She handed Lexa back her phone and they made their way back to their cars together. 

"I'll see you tomorrow." Clarke said over the door of her car. 

"You will." Lexa nodded. 

"Okay." 

"Okay."

Lexa realized that in less than a day they were falling habit to staring at each other. She meant to look away but it felt like losing. She needed to get home and shower, maybe call her mom or do more thesis research-anything but play this staring contest with a girl she'd only just met. She found it in herself to speak.

"Goodbye." She ducked into her car. 

She heard a faint "Bye." before she shut her door. 

* * *

 

It had been almost five hours since she had been home and still her phone was silent. If her day had gone like she had planned then this would be expected but some part of her had hoped, no...expected Clarke to text or call. She wasn't staring at her phone. She had even finished three chapters of a book she had been meaning to read and made a light dinner-but the house was silent and somehow that wasn't comforting tonight. She looked at her phone, her finger hovering over Clarke's name before she began to type. 

Lexa [9:12]: Hey, what time will you be at the beach tomorrow?

Clarke [9:15]: Is this Lexa?

Lexa [9:16]: No, it's the other girl you went out for drinks with today.

Clarke [9:17]: Oh no, there are a few...

Lexa [9:20]: Clarke. 

Clarke [9:22]: No worries, Lexa, you were my one and only today. 

Lexa [9:23]: You didn't answer my question. 

Clarke [9:30]: I'll be there around ten, maybe eleven. 

Lexa [9:32]: Tomorrow, then. I'm going to bed soon. 

Clarke [9:33]: Tomorrow. xx. 

Lexa let out a breath. She didn't plan on making friends here, or any other type of relationship. Whatever it was that was starting with Clarke she needed to hold back. Keep it at arms length and casual-nothing that could penetrate that walls she'd so carefully built and certain ly  nothing that could follow her when she went back home at the end of the summer. 


End file.
